The Daily Star  April 22, 1999

                          Arsenic removal tech developed

            Scientists have developed a low cost household
            technology for removal of soluble arsenic from water
            suitable for use by rural people, reports BSS.

            The arsenic research group of the Institute of Glass and
            Ceramic Research and Testing (IGCRT) of BCSIR has
            succeeded in developing the technology with locally
            available raw materials after intensive research for
            eight months.

            Talking to BSS project director of IGCRT Dr. Aftab Uddin
            Ahmed said the technology package was now ready for
            dissemination.

            He said field test of fresh tubewell water using this
            technology found that 99.5 per cent soluble arsenic
            could be removed from arsenic concentration of two
            milligram per liter.

            The flow rate is about 6 liter per hour.

            Dr. Ahmed said the available package consists of a
            filter and 100 packets (1 packet for five litre) flock
            forming composition for 500 litres of water. Large
            number of filters and composition packets for the
            affected areas could also be prepared if asked for, he
            added.

            The flock forming composition, prepared by mixing a
            number of chemicals in certain proportions, is added to
            the arsenic contaminated water followed by stirring and
            settling. After settling, it is passed through a filter
            system developed in BCSIR.

            The cost of a filter is Tk 300 which can purify up to
            60,000 litres water.

            A patent has been submitted to the patent office for
            this invention.

            Headed by Dr Aftab Uddin Ahmed the research group
            consists of scientists Meher Nigar Chowdhury and AJM
            Tahuran Neger.

            The research has been done with the financial support of
            the Ministry of Science and Technology.

            There are an estimated three million tubewells in
            Bangladesh providing 95 per cent of total drinking
            water. Arsenic contamination in the ground water of some
            parts of Bangladesh has exceeded the safe limit by 50
            times. Skin and internal diseases have been observed
            among thousands of people and many deaths have been
            reported.

            In many affected areas the villagers do not have access
            to any secondary source of arsenic-free safe water.
            Surface water treatment and subsequent distribution of
            treated water in the remote areas is complex and costly.